CWR Blog
Christianity Without The Religion BLOG hosted by Brad Jersak.
The E-Word Reclaimed: A Good Message & a Good Path – Brad Jersak
“Conversion” isn’t about indoctrination or recruitment or colonizing. It’s an invitation to experience God’s love, joy, peace, hope, and freedom—the healing of our hearts as we join Jesus and each other on his Good Path.
Reflections Along the Jesus Way
November 7, 2024 - Quote for the Day:
“The topic and theme of the Book of Revelation is Jesus Christ, not some geo-political, predictive timetable of future world events. The key to the Book of Revelation is its Christology, not its chronology. The guiding interpretive principle to be used in understanding Revelation is ‘who,’ not ‘when.’ Minimize the importance of the when; maximize the importance of the who. Revelation teaches that our human future is not the primary issue, but the future of Revelation is in and with Christ. The future in Revelation ...
Bad News Religion Part 4 of 4
The biggest threat to Christianity isn't apathy, indifference or its own woefully inadequate example - nor is it from Islam, New Age thought or the myriad cults. The greatest challenge to Christianity is religion insidiously thriving under the flag of Christianity.
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/PTR0327.mp3
Election Aftermath – Brad Jersak
Plain Truth Ministries endeavors to center our focus on Jesus at all times. Our Mission Statement says, "We proclaim Christianity without religion. Our Christ-centered ministry is based on faith alone, grace alone, and Christ alone."
That said, we recognize that our gospel also directly engages events in the real world... and this means more than an exercise in journalism. We know that world events can and do affect our readers. It's important that we acknowledge rather than ignore significant events and the feelings that follow.
Some of our readers ...
Bad News Religion Part 3 of 4
Christianity is in a completely different category from other religions. In fact, it is opposed to all religion - including religion appropriating the name of Jesus Christ. Religion is bad news - the polar opposite of the gospel of Jesus Christ - which is by definition, good news.
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/PTR0326.mp3
Rest for the Weary – by Greg Albrecht
I heard a story about an American missionary named David who served in an African town several decades ago. David was amazed to see the heavy loads and burdens the Africans carried on their heads as a part of their regular jobs.
The most astonishing individual he met, in this regard, was a lady who had perfected the technique of carrying heavy loads on her head to such a degree that her peers called her "the human delivery truck." Amazing at it seems to us, she delivered engine blocks from cars and trucks from one repair shop to another. According to the story, four ...
Politics and Religion as Usual – Greg Albrecht
The popularity and following of the outsider threatened the establishment, and the institutions and traditions it held near and dear. The market share of the outsider’s public support was growing.
He came from an obscure and remote place far outside the Jerusalem beltway. He didn’t have tradition and custom behind him like the power brokers in Jerusalem did, but it didn’t seem to make any difference. The people loved this populist outsider.
It almost seemed like the outsider had come from another dimension—no one had mentored him and no big donors or ...
Reflections Along the Jesus Way
November 5, 2024 - Quote for the Day:
“Jesus is God with a zip code (or a postal code for some readers). His spiritual address is the same as yours and your spiritual address is the same as his. Jesus has prepared eternal places for you and me, and he says he will ‘take you to be with me that you may also be where I am’ (John 14:3).”
Originally published in:
Unplugging from Religion - Connecting With God
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Bad News Religion Part 2 of 4
Organized religion frequently tries to solve the problems of this world, encouraging involvement in all sorts of causes and even political action, but that "religion" can become a substitute for our relationship with God - for authentic Christianity.
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/PTR0325.mp3
A Benediction for Election Season – Kenneth Tanner
May you remember that all politics and all platforms and all borders and all leaders are temporary, are here one day and gone the next. All of these are passing away.
May you resist the temptation to place ultimate trust in any person, policy, party, movement, or nation—even a beautiful idea that is embodied by a nation—because no nation-state is eternal.
May you know that your kingdom is not of this world but of the world that is coming to this world.
May you in the same moment grasp that engagement with the things of this world—not escape from its ...
Bad News Religion Part 1 of 4
Religion assures us that if we do stuff - if we comply with its rituals, its formulas and its prescriptions - that we'll be able to please and appease God. Religion supplants Jesus Christ by telling us we have to be involved with and rely upon it to "make it to heaven."
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/PTR0324.mp3
The Divine Treasure Hunt—Part 4 – Steve Orr
The Sacred Inner Sanctum of Your Soul:
I’ve got good news and bad news...
The good news is that all your hard work has paid off. You found the treasure and you’re sailing for safer shores. You have a large cupful of gold dust; you pour some into your palms to admire its beauty. It’s spellbinding. It brings bliss, you celebrate your victory. Your treasure glimmers for a moment. Then, out of nowhere comes a rogue wave. It jars the treasure out of hands and you watch helplessly as it slowly sinks to the bottom of the sea.
The inner sanctum of your soul is ...
Election – Fever Pitched Anxieties – Greg Albrecht
These must be the last days. Politicians are running hither and yon, desperately trying to say things that will influence followers and persuade the persuade-able. Listening to the hand-wringing anxiety and the fever-pitched appeals I was reminded “your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
“I’m from the government and I am here to help you” has come to be accepted as one of the great lies of our time. As we live through the last days of October the rhetoric is hot and ...
CWR Video – Children of God
In this CWR Video, Brad reflects on what it means to be Children of God.
https://vimeo.com/1011054977
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Reflections Along the Jesus Way
November 2, 2024 - Quote for the Day:
“God is not forever engaged in making sure that you and I get what’s coming to us. God is not consumed with making sure we pay all the penalties we deserve – his primary motive is love – his primary care for you and me is his relentless and never-ending love.”
Christianity Without the Religion magazine, April 2022
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Past Political Memories – Coffee and Confusion – Ken Williams
Ray Paquet, Howard Killough, and I left our Treasure Island Naval base in dress blues to attend a Barry Goldwater rally on the Fisherman's Warf. A large crowd gathered to heckle Goldwater. He was the media created maniac that would start WWIII if elected as President of the United States. T.V. screens displayed his stern face superimposed on a hydrogen bomb explosion and Dr. Strangelove was playing in theaters.
Ray, Howard, and I figured this was an attempt to frighten us into voting for LBJ. We were there to support Goldwater and took turns holding one of us upon ...
Our Biggest Problem
What's our biggest problem as Christians...is it religion? Is it legalism? Is it a lack of knowledge of the Bible? Is it too little obedience? You may be surprised.
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/PTR0266.mp3
Empty Your Pockets – by Greg Albrecht
Friend and Partner Letter for November 2024:
Erma Bombeck (1927-1996) was a beloved American writer. Her humor, in newspaper columns and 15 books, was flavored with inspiration and wisdom. She concluded a newspaper column published on March 10, 1987 with these insights (my emphasis in bold):
“I always had a dream that when I am asked to give an accounting of my life to a higher court, it will go like this: ‘So, empty your pockets. What have you got left of your life? Any dreams that were unfulfilled? Any unused talent that we gave you when you were born that ...
Reflections Along the Jesus Way
October 31, 2024 - Quote for the Day:
“I offer Revelation Revolution 1) as a Christ-centered remedy to the sensationalism of prophetic teaching and 2) from a compelling sense of duty in an attempt to spare others the inevitable loss of faith in God that is invariably left behind in the wake of such flawed and failed teaching. I am grieved to see that the same old broken-beyond-repair methodology of prophetic teaching continues to tease and allure millions into its destructive clutches.”
Originally published in:
Revelation Revolution
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Is It Possible to OD on Grace?
Religion and legalism are uncomfortable with God's grace, claiming that the grace of God encourages people to sin. But can we have too much grace -- is it possible to overdose on grace?
https://www.ptm.org/mp3/FreeDwnld/PTR0265.mp3